[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world":3,"chapter-the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-8":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Phoenix Returns to Rule the World",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2353132,4602,"Chapter 8: Poisonous Schemes, A Sweet Deal, and a Devil","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-8",8,"\u003Cp>At the stroke of midnight, the group arrived at a village, and Mama Xue decided to rest there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She dismissed a farming family and arranged for Jun Ziqin to stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin had nothing to say; there was no avoiding this, so she quietly instructed Xiao He to be careful tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiao He, I fear this journey will not be peaceful. Are you afraid to be following me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am not afraid. Wherever the Young Lady is, I am there too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He had long ago made up her mind to follow Jun Ziqin; no matter how great the hardships or dangers, she would never retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He looked at Jun Ziqin with determination, making her feel deeply warmed in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin gently patted Xiao He’s hand and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Silly Xiao He, this is only the beginning. When we return, there will surely be more trouble. But rest assured, as long as I am here, I will never let anyone bully you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they were exhausted, they remained alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surroundings were silent, when suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside, and Jun Ziqin immediately became vigilant. She signaled for Xiao He to stay quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, Jun Ziqin smelled a fragrance permeating the air. Medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin, and the original owner, who was well-versed in pharmacology, was no stranger to this scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tch, and here I thought they’d pull out some big move, but it’s just these little tricks!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her past life, Jun Ziqin had read plenty of novels in her spare time; she hadn't expected the plot to be exactly like one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s sleeping incense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin sneered and thought to herself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This sleeping incense is too cliché; they didn't even come up with a new trick.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She instructed Xiao He to hold her breath, pulled a handkerchief from her pocket to cover her mouth and nose, and muttered to herself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In this day and age, do villains not innovate at all? They could at least use some poison gas or something; sleeping incense is just too amateur.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, not long after, a rustling sound of footsteps came from outside the door, followed by the movement of the door bolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin hid behind the door, counting silently in her heart:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One, two, three...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she reached six, the door was pushed open gently, and a burly man in black crept inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man in black was holding a rope, looking as if he intended to tie them up like rice dumplings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin couldn't help but laugh out loud, thinking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This villain is so dedicated, he even prepared the rope; what thoughtful service.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She quietly circled behind the man in black and lightly tapped his shoulder. The man was so startled he jumped, and the rope in his hand nearly fell to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother, is your sleeping incense expired?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin asked with a smile, her tone carrying a hint of mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man in black jumped in fright, then reacted and reached out to grab Jun Ziqin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin dodged; finally having a chance to stretch her limbs, she kicked the man in the back of the knee, forced him down, twisted his arm, and easily subdued him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She snatched the hemp rope and, in a few quick motions, tied the man up like a rice dumpling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her movements were coherent and fluid, leaving Xiao He wide-eyed and dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was so shocked he couldn't even speak, and before he could come to his senses, his mouth was stuffed with a foul-smelling, unrecognizable object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't know what had happened; he had thought this was a sweet deal, as the Second Young Lady’s face was quite beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, he hadn't even intended to waste the sleeping incense—they were just two little maids, and he had only used it as a precaution—he never expected...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp pain shot through the man's arm, and only then did he realize that the \"perverted\" Second Young Lady before him had dislocated his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were filled with terror, but since his mouth was stuffed, he could only struggle, unable to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Jun Ziqin knew this small body didn't have much strength; she had just used leverage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed she needed to start training immediately; in a man-eating place like the Jun Fu, this small body would likely suffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin signaled for Xiao He to close the door tightly, then pulled the black cloth off the man's face. Taking a closer look, wasn't this the burly woman from earlier today?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the person before her was a man; no wonder he had looked so strange earlier today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin gave a light scoff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She teased:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your martial arts are embarrassing, and your sleeping incense is ineffective too. How about I recommend a few types? I guarantee one sniff and you'll drop; even an elephant couldn't resist it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly dropped the teasing and replaced it with a face full of coldness:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiao He, ask him what he wants.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He yanked the dirty rag out of the man's mouth and asked viciously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak, what do you want?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man hurriedly defended himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second Young Lady, it has nothing to do with me, it was Mama Xue who forced me to do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still not telling the truth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He scolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Lady, should we chop off one of his hands first?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man calmed down, shook his head, and gave a cold snort. This was too insulting; his martial arts might be poor, but he was still a man—how could he be intimidated by two little girls?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not talking, are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin suddenly smiled. She turned to Xiao He and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go, bring that jar of chili sauce from the kitchen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chili sauce was quickly brought over. Jun Ziqin took the jar, shook it lightly, walked up to the man, squatted down, and said with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid, aren't you tough? Come, come, have a taste.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, a large spoonful of chili sauce was shoved directly into the man's mouth. Before long, half the bottle of chili sauce was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiciness exploded in the man's mouth as if thousands of ants were gnawing at his tongue. His face turned bright red, and tears and snot streamed down together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn't take it anymore, but Jun Ziqin kept feeding him the chili sauce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid, are you going to talk or not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man burst into tears:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll talk, I'll talk, is that not enough?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snot and tears running down his face, the man said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The small one is called Wang Er, a waiter at the Chunxiang Pavilion. Mama Xue gave me 20 taels of silver to take the Second Young Lady... Mama Xue ordered that after it was done, if the Second Young Lady was obedient, she would be sent to Chunxiang Pavilion to earn money—this face couldn't be wasted—and if she wasn't obedient, she was to be drowned in the pond with this little maid...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pfft.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin was amused by the two \"sausages\" on Wang Er's mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, the plan was indeed a poisonous one. It's just that the person is a bit stupid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where is the silver?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He scolded again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn't expected this little maid to be such a little miser. Jun Ziqin chuckled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second Young Lady, spare me! The silver, the silver is on me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He stuffed Wang Er's mouth back up and bent down to search the silver from his person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"20 taels! Young Lady, we've struck it rich!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin took the silver Xiao He handed her and weighed it; it was quite heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the original owner's memories, Jun Ziqin thought for a long time before she seemed to understand the value of 20 taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this time and space, an ordinary family might not be able to save 10 taels of silver in a year even if they didn't eat or drink; 20 taels could be considered a significant sum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She handed the silver back and told Xiao He to keep it safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Lady, how should we deal with this person?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of ruthlessness crossed Jun Ziqin's eyes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn't he want to do that to me? This young lady will make him a eunuch and destroy his manhood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Wang Er realized he hadn't expected this seemingly weak little girl to be so ruthless and decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were filled with fear; he wanted to say something, but his mouth was blocked tight, so he could only shake his head desperately, making muffled whimpering sounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He pointed at Wang Er and cursed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You deserve it! Who told you to try and harm the Young Lady?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin showed no mercy and kicked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Er was kicked hard and fell to the ground, rolling in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his mouth stuffed, he couldn't even scream; his face turned the color of a pig's liver, and his eyes were filled with despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought he’d landed a sweet deal, never knowing he had encountered a devil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just been force-fed chili sauce, and now he was being castrated; he feared he would lose his life here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swore that if he could get out alive, he would never dare to provoke this ancestor again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Ziqin looked at Wang Er with disgust:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tie him here; whether he lives or dies depends on his own fate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Lady, how are you so formidable?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He’s eyes lit up; the Young Lady acted decisively now, which was far better than her previous timid self, and at the very least, she would no longer be bullied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know either; I had a dream last night, and when I woke up this morning, I felt like my whole body was different.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Junzi Jin spouted nonsense, then continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go, let's go meet Mama Xue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1673,"2026-06-21T03:35:39.629Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","2195675e2e9c186d2e5524aa02116ced30cb53e0353b4c35456a85fbe3670b9c","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-9","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-7",224,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-cover.jpg"]